The Sailor and the Mermaid
by LadyFufu
Summary: Mermaids were nothing more than fairy tales, they weren't real. Yet You finds herself questioning that thinking when she meets an actual mermaid, one that saved her life no less. ChikaYou Mermaid AU
1. The Cave

Of course mermaids were only the stuff of fairy tales. The sort of things you told kids to excite their imaginations or to get them to go to sleep at night. And then the darker variants were there to warn people and keep them safe, to prevent them from doing things or going places they shouldn't.

Yes, mermaids were either pretty princesses with shimmering tails, or deceptive sirens that led sailors to their watery graves. But those were only stories; mermaids weren't real.

At least, that's what You was trying to tell herself, her thoughts chanting like a mantra - " _They're only stories, mermaids can't be real, they can't be! They're just make believe-"_ \- as she found herself face to face with an actual mermaid; one with short orange hair the same colour as her scaly tail, big red eyes and a big warm smile as well. Not that it did anything to make You feel more at ease.

"Are you okay? You might still be a lil dizzy after your time underwater," the...creature asked, tilting her head. You didn't answer immediately, her mind racing and torn between her aforementioned internal panic - " _She's an actual mermaid, oh god, I'm probably still asleep, this can't be real, oh shi-"_ \- and trying to remember what had actually happened to her.

Underwater? Why was she underwater? In fact, where was she? Was she not on her father's ship?

When she actually decided to take in her surroundings, finally taking her eyes off the mermaid, You found that she was indeed not on her father's ship; instead, she noticed she was in a shallow cave, with a thin strip of sand hugging the back wall. She absentmindedly noted that that meant the tide was probably out, but that it could also come back in and fill the cave fairly soon.

Her attention was snapped back to the mermaid as she found a hand waving in front of her face, and a voice- her voice, the mermaid's voice, calling, "Heeeeey. Are you okay?"

You finally seemed to find her voice, and suddenly began spewing a stream of questions. "Wha- Wait, where are we? Where's my father's ship? What happened? Why am I here? Who are- _what_ are you?!" With that last question, You jumped to her feet and began backing away. Or at least she attempted to do both; the roof was far too low for her to stand at full height, and she found herself at the cave wall after simply leaning back slightly.

The mermaid however seemed undisturbed by You's fanatically hostile behaviour; still smiling, she shifted herself till she was seated with her tail to her side, and then began answering You's many questions, "Well, my name is Chika, and I'm a mermaid, as you can see," - she gestured to her tail, almost proudly, as though to prove her point - "we're in a cave on the other side island from the human settlement, and I brought you here cos you fell from your human boat early this morning when that nasty storm was going on. Its waiting at the settlement."

Two things from the mermaid's- Chika's description stuck out to You, at different rates; first was the "storm" part. That did indeed jog her memory, and she did recall the ship rocking sharply, the shouts from the rest of the crew as they rushed to their stations to deal with it...and then the scream of her father as she fell over the railing into the ocean after a particularly violent jolt.

Shaking her head of any horrifying thoughts about her father, she thought about the second thing that she'd noticed; "settlement", which would mean a village. It was probably Uchiura, the village the ship had been docked at for the past week; they'd left it that morning as they planned to continue to their next destination, however the storm clearly had other ideas and had forced the ship to turn back.

"Wait," she said, her mind beginning to race again, though this time for the sake of forming a plan rather than just panicking, "so we're just on the other side of the island from Uchiura? Then I need to go right now, I need to find father and show him that I'm okay!" She began to walk forward, though her steps were tiny due to lack of proper land, even as she stepped into the water.

She slowed to a stop when the water reached her knees, her head beginning to ache and her vision briefly going white - which made sense given what Chika had told her; she'd fallen from the ship into storm crazed waters, nearly drowned, and had been unconscious for however long. It probably would be best for her to sit and wait till she was fit to actually move, an act that Chika herself then said as much, "Wait, you should really wait here till you're feeling better!"

Common sense was telling You that she should stay and rest till she felt well enough to actually move. Common sense was also telling her that the tide would probably come through soon and unless Chika was willing to help her move when that happened, she'd probably drown if she stayed.

However, overriding common sense was her stubborn side, which insisted that she press on regardless of her headache, that she make her way to the village as quickly as possible, find her father, and forget this encounter with the fairy tale creature, with the hope that it would eventually relegate itself to such a misty memory that she'd look back and think it nothing more than a very vivid dream.

She shook her head to clear her swimming vision, though possibly making it even worse in the process and making her headache smart even more, and kept moving through the water, ignoring the mermaid behind her, calling for her to wait. She waded further, assuming she was on a gradual downward slope, only to go to take another step forward and then finding herself submerged in the water as she stumbled over the sudden drop into the deep.

She reemerged, spluttering and coughing as Chika laughed behind her. You turned sharply - or as sharply as she could while floating in water - to glare back at the mermaid, hoping that her annoyance was clear enough in her gaze to shut the other girl up. Chika did indeed stop laughing, though more because she calmed herself and less due to You's heated stare.

Then to You's surprise, Chika began shuffling herself through the water until she entered the deep end and was floating next to You, where she then put her arm around You's waist and pulled the sailor's other arm over her own shoulder.

"Wh-what are you-?" You stuttered, feeling her face grow warm at the sudden close contact. Chika giggled, "Well, if you're gonna insist on leaving, then I might as well help you. Just make sure you rest when we get to the beach, okay?" You nodded, deeming that a fair request, though her voice couldn't actually speak for her at that moment. Nevertheless, Chika was happy with her response as she nodded herself.

"Good! Then let's go!" Thus the two began swimming out of the cave, with You getting dragged along by Chika than actually swimming alongside her, though whether that was due to her own weak legs or Chika's stronger strokes, she couldn't tell.

* * *

 **I don't know how many chapters this will end up being, or if I'll even be able to finish it before I get hit with a massive block (Though trust me when I say I'm obviously gonna keep trying to write this), but this shouldn't be too long a story anyway. I hope. :''D Fortunately I'm already working on chapter 2 and I hope to stay a chapter ahead of posting to ensure this gets finished.**

 **I don't have much else to say about this, but I hope you enjoyed this first chapter.**

 **Concrit is always welcome.**

 **Fufu x**


	2. The Beach

It was when they'd reached the beach that Chika had said, "I still don't know your name." She splayed herself onto her front, resting where the waves ebbed up onto the beach. You sat up, having been laying on the sand away from the waves to allow herself to dry in the sunlight and to rest and recover as she said she would. Her head still ached somewhat, but she could at least ignore it better than she could in the cave.

"My name is You. You Watanabe," she answered, more out of a sense of politeness and feeling like she owed Chika at least that much after she'd helped her. At the same time, a part of You couldn't help but point out that she'd probably never see Chika again, if this wasn't some fever dream to begin with, so there wasn't really any point to introductions.

"Then it's nice to meet you, You!" Chika's smile widened, then she asked, "Hey, why were you on that boat in the first place? I don't see a lot of human girls on those big boats to begin with, or even a lot of younger humans like yourself." You fought the urge to frown at that comment, though she had to admit that there wasn't an awful lot of female sailors on the seas. At least, not a lot that she'd met. As for the lack of "younger humans", she bit her tongue on that as well; she wasn't a child! And even if children weren't normally allowed on ships, she was different.

"It's my father's boat. He's the captain, and I'm part of his crew along with everyone else on the ship." She felt a sense of pride filling her chest as she said this; she still appreciated her position amongst the crew and worked hard to prove her place on the ship was earned and not just due to her father. A smile grew on her face as well, and then even wider as she noticed Chika's eyes sparkling with admiration.

"That sounds so cool! Wait, so that means he's the leader? He tells everyone what to do and they do it?"

You nodded. "Yup. He's a pretty good captain too. I've heard nothing but good things when other people talk about him." Chika put her head in her hands and sighed, "Wow, you're so lucky. You're father sounds like a nice leader. And you get to go on adventures too."

"Well, it's mostly just delivery work, and it can be pretty dangerous, what with storms and pirates," You said, "But I guess we do get to go to places and see things most people can't, so that's pretty cool." She then asked, having realised what Chika had said, "Wait, don't you travel? I mean, you live in the water, so it'd be pretty easy, right?"

Chika shook her head, suddenly looking a lot more down, though she still wore a small smile. "I don't really leave these island waters much. You say it can be dangerous travelling above the water, but it's the same under the sea. Besides, I'm comfortable here. Even if I wanted to leave, I don't think I could."

"Oh," was all You could say to that. She understood the first part, about wanting to avoid danger. Part of the reason a lot of people didn't travel in the first place was because it was dangerous. The second part, however, she couldn't relate to; she'd been travelling the waters her entire life, and she couldn't dream of ever settling and staying in one place. Even when she and her father went back home to visit her mother, You found herself itching to get back on the boat and sail off again as soon as she could.

With no additions made to the conversation, You lay back down and silence fell between the two of them. The hot sun beat down on them, and with the heat and the calming sound of the waves washing up on the beach - occasionally broken up by splashing from Chika's tail - You almost felt like she could fall asleep. The only thing that really stopped her from doing so was her company and the fact that she'd be leaving soon once she felt properly rested.

"Hey," Chika said, breaking the silence, "what's it like? Travelling, I mean. And spending time on a boat with so many people for so long?"

You didn't sit up this time, but she answered almost immediately, a content smile appearing on her face as she spoke, "It's exciting. You get to go to so many places and meet so many people and see so many places. People you'd never meet otherwise, 'cos they never leave their islands, and places people would never see 'cos they're hidden away. And 'cos nobody goes anywhere, everywhere looks so fresh and new and untouched.

"And the rest of the crew feel like family by now. They kinda baby me sometimes 'cos I'm the captain's kid, which is a lil annoying. But sometimes I don't mind; they're kinda like brothers or somethin'. But they still respect me like a member of the crew, I guess." You sat up again, then asked, "What about you? What about your family?"

Chika tilted her head, a thoughtful expression on her face. "Hm, they're okay. My mother and sisters are all pretty busy though, so I don't see them that much."

"Oh. Sorry to bring it up."

"Huh? It's fine," Chika insisted, smiling at You's downtrodden expression, "Besides, I keep myself busy here. Even if I don't go too far out, there's still plenty to explore at this island. So I'm fine, really." Her cheerfulness managed to lift You's own mood, who nodded back and said, "If you say so. I still sounds kinda lonely, but hey, I'll admit I'd kill for that kind of freedom every now and then."

"Wha- but that's bad! Why would you kill someone?" At Chika's sudden cry of horror, You burst into laughter, "That's just a figure of speech! I wouldn't actually kill someone!" As realisation spread on Chika's face, so too did a smile, and then she was laughing along with You, the vibrant sound filling the otherwise empty beach.

"Y'know," You said as she finally calmed down, "this isn't as weird as I first thought it was. Or at least it's not as weird anymore." Chika blinked and asked, "Eh? What's weird about this?"

"Well, you're a mermaid," You started, and the other girl nodded, wearing an expression that highlighted how obvious You's statement was. She then added, "And, well, as far as humans are concerned, mermaids don't exist. They're just fairy tales that you'd tell to little kids." She then ducked her head, grimacing as she added in a quieter voice, "I kinda thought I was dreaming or hallucinating when I saw you."

" _To be honest, I'm still not certain this is even real,"_ she thought. Another reason she'd fought off sleep despite the warm air making her drowsy was that she almost didn't want to wake up and find Chika gone, nothing more than a dream or a hallucination.

You was currently stuck in an in-between state; still assuming she'd hit her head or was making everything up, but on the other hand beginning to actually believe - and hope - that it was real, that Chika was real.

"But why don't they think we exist?" Chika asked, tilting her head and frowning, confused, "Is it 'cos they've never actually seen us? We're there if they wanted to look." You simply shrugged.

She looked back up to the sky, and noticed the sun was almost directly above them. If the storm had happened early in the morning after they'd set out from Uchiura, just after the sun had risen, and it was nearly noon now, then she'd been gone for hours.

"I should really head now. Everybody'll be worried about me," You said as she stood, brushing the sand from her clothes - another thing she noted and matched with her memory; she was still in her sleeping slacks, having been rushed out of bed to help when the storm hit. She was also missing her boots, though they were probably long gone at the bottom of the sea.

"Will you be okay? Are you rested enough?" Chika asked. You smiled down at her, nodding for extra reassurance.

"I'm fine. Besides, I should go back to the village as quick as I can before everyone thinks I'm dead. Thanks for everything." She turned and began walking away, only to stop when she heard Chika call from behind her, "Can we see each other again?" You turned around again, seeing Chika's hopeful smile.

What was she to say? Maybe not? After all, as soon as You met up with her father and the crew, they'd probably leave as soon as they could to make up for lost time on their schedule. And even if they did have to stay a little longer for whatever reason, surely You wouldn't be able to sneak off to a beach on the other side of the island. Or if Chika were to come to her, would she be safe anywhere near the village? There was too much at risk, never mind the extra fact that You still wasn't even certain any of this was real-

Yet she smiled back anyway, and before she finally turned back and kept walking, maybe with the slight hope that she would see Chika again, You said one thing;

"Maybe."

* * *

 **A quick couple points I want to mention;**

 **\- Since this story is being told from You's 3rd person perspective, Chika's family situation probably won't ever actually be important. I know that having said that now, it seems pointless, but eh, it's the two of them getting to know each other. :D**

 **\- I'll admit I'm a little worried that Chika might come across as a little too naive compared to her canon self at times (Particularly the line about "You shouldn't kill people!" plus referring to everything human by simple terms). On the one hand, I kinda want to say its due to her being a mermaid so maybe its a slightly different worldview? On the other, I'd like to know if you all think it's a bit much and I can work on it in later chapters. :'D**

 **So those two things aside, I hope this chapter was otherwise interesting. I know not much actually happened, but more is going to happen next chapter.**

 **Thank you for reading anyway~! Concrit is appreciated!**

 **Fufu x**


	3. The Village

It was just after noon when You had made her way through the forest and to the outer edge of the village, and after a confusing trek through a residential area she wasn't familiar with, she found herself at the central square. The location itself was mostly quiet, with the few people present either shopping at the stalls outside larger stores or sitting on the stone benches surrounding a well in the centre most part of the square. The small number of children in the area seemed content to stay near their mothers rather than run and play in the square.

You almost wanted to sit and rest for a bit; she could feel her headache coming on again, and her feet ached as well, a mix of all the walking she'd been doing as well as the fact that she was walking on rough ground with bare feet. She ultimately decided against it, justifying that it was more important to find her father first, and that she could rest after that. It wasn't that far anyway, and You knew the area closer to the docks a lot better. It would be fine…

Yet as she took a step to continue on, she found herself growing woozy. A jolt of pain shot through her head, causing her to wince and her vision turned white, and for the first time all day, You was suddenly aware of how she hadn't eaten or drank anything since before the boat had left for its halted voyage. The stress of the long day was finally catching up to her.

Taking another step, this time toward one of the benches as she revised her decision of not stopping to rest, she began to waver, feeling as though she were about the collapse. The world around her began to blur in both sight and sound, her head filling with white noise. You thought she heard her name being called, but it was lost in the haze. She took another step.

Again, she thought she heard her name, though a lot more urgent sounding, however she couldn't be sure as her legs finally gave out beneath her, and her world turned black.

* * *

When You regained consciousness, the first thing she noticed was that she was inside a building, resting on a bed, as opposed to outside lying on the ground. There was also the smell of fish in the air, though having lived by the sea for as long as she had, You could ignore that. She could feel something cool resting on her head, and when she reached up to touch it, it felt damp. She concluded easily enough that it was a wet cloth, but decided to leave it in place. She noted that her headache had faded considerably, most likely due to her finally getting some decent rest.

She lay there, internally debating getting some more sleep - whoever had brought her there probably wouldn't mind, and more rest could only do her good - or getting up and continuing to find her father. The longer she took to get back, the closer he'd get to just declaring her dead and moving on without her. You winced at the rather harsh thought; obviously he'd be torn up at the idea of his daughter being dead, but grief wouldn't keep him on the island. He'd still be a professional and get his job done, and probably as quick as he could so he could go home and tell her mother...

Her thought process was broken by the creaking of stairs, and when she turned her head, You found herself looking at a familiar face, a rarity in her line of work.

"Ah, you're up," the young woman said, putting down the tub of water she'd been carrying next to the bed, "And you're looking better now. At least you've got some colour back in your face." The newcomer took the damp cloth off of You's forehead and began soaking it.

"Kanan," You croaked, her voice hoarse from lack of water. Kanan Matsuura was the daughter of one of the fishing families in the village, one that specialised in diving for fish deeper in the sea that fishermen couldn't catch with their nets otherwise. Being one of the few girls in the village around You's age, she'd spent a fair amount of time with Kanan during the week the crew had been staying in Uchiura.

The young woman looked up at the sound of her name, giving You a small sympathetic smile. As she placed the cloth back on You's head, she said, "Hold on a sec, I'll get you some water. Then we'll talk." You could only nod in response, though Kanan was already leaving the room. While You tried to return to her thoughts in the meantime, she couldn't quite focus on them, finding them a confusing mess. She focused instead on the sounds of Kanan moving around downstairs.

She could hear thuds and clinks - cupboards and glass, most likely - and footsteps, which then transitioned into the creaking stairs again as Kanan reappeared in the room, holding a glass of water. When You moved to try and sit up, Kanan put her hand gently on the girl's chest to stop her, saying, "Nuh uh, you're still resting. Here." She moved the pillows You was lying on, propping them up so You could sit up without actually doing so.

You pouted, feeling frustrated at her position and beginning to feel almost babied. "But, my father, I need-" Kanan held up her hand, preventing You again. She handed her the water and said, "Don't worry about that. I already sent one of the shop assistants to go tell him you're okay when I found you. He'll be here soon."

For the first time that day, You found herself feeling pure relief. She let out a deep sigh and shifted, burying deeper into the pillows. As she began drinking from her water, Kanan said, "We were all worried about you, y'know. When the ship came back and your father said you'd fallen off when it got caught in that storm. He was pretty frantic, kept begging every fisherman with a decent boat to send out search parties to look for you, even though everyone else kept telling him to wait till after the storm had passed."

You winced; she already knew he'd be worried about her disappearing, but to actually hear it from somebody else still made the news sting. "I tried to get back as quickly as I could," she mumbled into the glass.

"And clearly, pushing yourself is what led to you passing out in the middle of the square," Kanan scolded, cuffing You over the head, though the playful smile on her face indicated she wasn't entirely serious.

"Hey! You can't assault your patient!" You complained, laughing as she buried deeper into the pillow while dodging another swipe from her friend. An evil smirk spread on Kanan's face as she held her hands up, poised in claw shapes as she said, "Nobody would ever know."

Despite You's attempts to play along and bear a horrified expression, the over exaggerated act simply made her snort and break out in laughter again, and Kanan quickly found herself doubled over and laughing as well, though she tried to muffle her giggles in the sheets of the bed. Their gleeful cries went on for a couple minutes, till You felt her sides begin to ache and her throat grew parched again.

"Well," Kanan sighed once she'd finally calmed herself down, "at least you're safe now. And clearly you're feeling a lot better." You could only nod in response as she proceeded to chug down the remains of her water, leaving a brief silence to settle while she did so.

"Hey, I was wondering," her friend started, taking the glass off of You once she was finished and putting it on the floor next to the tub of water, "where did you actually end up after the storm? You didn't wash up on the shore by the docks, but you clearly managed to make it back here on your own from wherever you were."

"I just washed up on the beach," You answered, deciding to leave out the bit about being saved by a fairy tale creature that logically shouldn't exist. However she then realised that her answer left much to be desired when Kanan's eyes widened in surprise and she said, "Wha- but the beach is on the other side of the island. How did you wash up there when the ship left from this side and didn't go anywhere near there?"

"Uh...currents?" You tried, only for Kanan to then frown, suspicion in her eyes. Fortunately for You, before she could begin stammering out other excuses and before Kanan could begin the interrogation You knew was coming, they both heard the door downstairs slam open, making them jump. In an instant, the new arrival was shouting loud for the girls to hear, "You! Are you here?!"

"Father!" You shouted back, and they'd barely heard the groaning of the stairs before he burst into the room. His tired looking face broke into a huge grin and relief shone in his eyes as he saw his daughter, alive and well, before him. You's own expression was identical to her father's, as she burst from the bed into his arms.

"Oh sweetheart, you're okay," he mumbled, repeating it even, while You seemed to be mumbling something of her own that was lost in the man's heavy clothes, yet the tears falling from her eyes spoke clear enough for her.

Kanan smiled at the scene before her, her suspicions put aside for now. Gathering up the tub of water and You's empty glass, she left the newly reunited father and daughter alone; her exit went unnoticed.

* * *

After determining that You was fit to move, the duo left for the inn by the docks where the crew had been staying while stationed in the village. It was during the walk that You's father explained that he wished to stay in Uchiura for a few days longer, partly to ensure You was well and truly back up to full health - which she insisted that she was, though he then insisted that she take it easy for a day or two more just to be certain - and then partly to restock some of their supplies, both for the crew and for their delivery. The storm had apparently swept away much of their cargo, and with the captain's first priority being to find You, he hadn't gotten around to arranging more supplies. An arrangement that You definitely didn't approve of.

"Wai- you didn't even split the crew to deal with that? Like, some of them could focus on restocking and some of them could help you with the search party?" You scolded, putting her hands on her hips while her father scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"I know, it was stupid-"

"Of course it was, you're still running a business, you have to be professional." She pouted as she came to a stop, switching her stance and folding her arms instead while also drawing herself up to her full height, trying to make herself seem taller in the midst of the semi-argument that'd broken out.

"I know, sweetheart, I'm sorry. I just- I panicked," her father sighed, looking downcast, "I thought I'd lost you." She softened at that, her expression shifting to a concerned frown as she said, "I know. Sorry."

"Hell, it's not like the crew helped either; they were just as freaked as I was about you fallin' overboard. Nobody was thinkin' about the delivery, just about gettin' you back safe and sound." You rolled her eyes, mumbling, "You're all hopeless." Though she wore a soft smile as she said it.

The old man chuckled, "Yeah we are. But hey, that's all done now, you're safe now; let's go meet the boys, show them all you're okay, yeah? We'll celebrate for tonight! But you're not drinking."

"You never let me drink anyway," You laughed, to which he laughed in response, and they both broke out in a run, racing each other the rest of the way to the inn.

* * *

The party held at the inn was a boisterous one, filled with cheering and singing and much drinking - though true to her father's word, he made sure You didn't get a drop. Before that was the crazy reunion she had had with the crew, with each individual either sweeping her up into hugs or simply crying that they were glad she was safe.

All in all, the entire day had left You feeling exhausted, even with the extended rest she'd had at Kanan's house, so before the moon was even high in the sky, she left the party and headed to her room. Yet when she got there, aside from getting changed into a fresh pair of sleeping slacks - she'd been wearing her old, now worn and finished ones the entire day now - she chose to look out the window at the sea rather than immediately going to bed.

The ocean outside was black due to the darkness, aside from the bright white streaks of the moon's glowing reflection. Contrary to that morning's storm, the waves were calm, lapping gently against the island's edge. It was almost as if the storm had never happened. While the idea of something so powerful and vast suddenly deciding to kick up a frenzy and destroy whatever it could was terrifying, You still loved the sea.

She loved how peaceful it could be, like how it was right then, late at night. And she loved how it was still so mysterious. It still held so many secrets that people didn't know about, and for some people, that could be terrifying, but for You, it just meant more adventure. Being able to explore and discover the unknown…

It was as she let out a relaxed sigh, relishing the quiet and the rhythmic sound of the waves against the island, that she heard a splash, separate from that of the waves. After an initial cursory glance over the waters didn't reveal anything, she almost put it down to stray wave hitting a rock. Then she heard it again, and then a third time, and then she was practically hanging out the window, searching for the source of the noise.

She almost felt stupid doing it, and part of her kept trying to insist that it was just the waves, maybe even a fish skimming the surface of the water. But then the other part of her wanted to believe…

A shape- a person emerged from the water, nothing more than a silhouette in the darkness. As they moved through the water however, the light from the moon caught them, and You found herself grinning. At the same time, the figure seemed to notice You, and then Chika was waving, both hands in the air and her excited laughter almost being carried by the waves or the wind to You's ears.

" _It was real. This morning was real...right?"_ Even as You waved back, she was hesitant; on the one hand, she was nervous, uncertain. Still ready to brush everything about that morning off as a hallucination caused by a head injury or a dream while she was unconscious. She was certainly feeling tired enough that she could probably convince herself she was still dreaming.

Yet the other part of her was still so curious about Chika, and perhaps their bonding moment on the beach had warmed her to the mermaid, after her initial panic. Maybe she wanted to see her again, whether to reaffirm that she was real and finally silence that hesitant side of herself, and maybe…

Maybe You wanted to see Chika again because she genuinely enjoyed her company, because she wanted to spend more time with her. Dare she say it, but despite being from two completely different worlds, maybe You believed that they could possibly be...friends?

As her waving grew more firm, a determined smile grew on her face. As Chika disappeared below the water again, You made her decision.

"I will see you again, Chika. I promise," she whispered, hoping that the wind would carry her words to her new companion beneath the waves.

* * *

 **Chapter 3 is finally here! It took a lil while longer than I was hoping. :'D But that is partly due to real life, but also, partly due to the fact that I wanted to make this one a bit longer than the last two have been.**

 **Minimal Chika this time around, which also means minimal interaction between her and You, but hey, I've included Kanan. :D And hopefully, there should be more Chika next time, especially since You will actively be looking to see her again.**

 **Speaking of characters, I should probably say, without actively spoiling; as far as I have planned, not everyone in Aqours is gonna appear in this fic. The way I've got it figured out so far, one other girl from the group will appear in this, and another might get a mention as being part of the world, but not an appearance. I will admit that things are possibly subject to change, but as the plan goes so far, that's what's happening. Just figured I should bring that up now that Kanan's made an appearance.**

 **Also, I hope the inclusion of You's father wasn't too intrusive. Given that You's main focus so far has been getting back to him, I did want to write their reunion, but I'm also worried that that felt very quick? Let me know and I could possibly fix it? :'D**

 **Other than that, I don't think there's anything else major I feel I need to mention.**

 **So with that, I hope you enjoyed. Concrit is always appreciated. :D**

 **Fufu x**


	4. The Mikan Tree

The following morning was spent either arguing with her father that she was fit to leave the inn and that she didn't need somebody to look after her - which was made all the more difficult when half the crew joined in on her father's side and even offered to chaperone her, though she eventually won the chance to be alone - or arguing with herself on whether or not she should search out Chika.

She ultimately decided to go find Chika to spend time with her, though partly due to the same reason that she'd been conflicted over the decision to begin with; proving once and for all if Chika was real and that she wasn't crazy. You had been growing more and more certain that the mermaid girl was not some hallucination, and she'd been growing more comfortable with the idea of befriending Chika. But there was just this niggling itch at the back of her mind, constantly doubting and questioning, and she'd finally had enough of it.

She didn't know how much longer she'd be in Uchiura, but You was determined to make the most of it, and she didn't need some stupid voice in her head annoying her throughout the rest of her stay.

The only question was where would Chika be?

You couldn't return to the beach at the back of the island; her father would freak if she went missing again and then she'd definitely be forced to stay by his side, and she'd never get to see Chika. The same would apply to the cove, though she didn't really know where that was exactly to begin with, plus it'd require swimming, which she wasn't particularly up for, at least not yet. It crossed her mind to check the shoreline by the docks, but then she instantly vetoed that idea; she didn't know if Chika went anywhere near the docks. Besides, if she did, wouldn't that put her at risk of being seen?

In the end, as a compromise between going somewhere she could still be easily found while still being near the water, You decided to sit at a grassy strip of land at the back of a row of buildings, still in view of the docks, yet the slightly elevated land sheltered the waters from view. The plain was empty aside from a single, fruit bearing tree, small yet with enough space beneath it to sit at, and the edge of the forest starting much further along the coastline.

You sat at the foot of the tree, picking up a piece of fruit that had fallen from the tree - round and orange in colour, You guessed the fruit was a mikan, common in some eastern islands in the ocean, though she'd only ever seen them grown in orchards, never naturally in the wild - and rolling it mindlessly between her hands, staring out toward the ocean. There wasn't much else she could do besides wait and hope for something to happen. She almost wanted to kick herself for not actually arranging a time and place to meet with Chika.

" _That's because you still didn't think it was real; why make arrangements to meet again then look like the idiot waiting alone for hours for nobody to show up?"_ That voice, the one at the back of her mind still casting doubt over the entire situation piped up, a particularly dry tone to the thought. You did admit that the voice had a valid point, alongside her obvious rush to return to her father. She bit down on a segment of the fruit - her absentminded fidgeting having turned into an absentminded peeling of the skin - as she thought on what she would do if Chika didn't show up.

Her pride insisted that she couldn't return to her father; while it'd be nice to contribute toward sorting supplies for the ship, she'd already made a big fuss about being alone, and she didn't feel like she could see him again after that. She couldn't spend time with the crew for the same reason, plus they'd be busy with the restocking. Kanan would probably be busy working, either manning the fish shop or diving. And there really wasn't anyone else she could spend time with.

Well that was depressing thought.

Finishing the last segment of the rather small fruit, she tossed the skin into the grass and stood up, ready to leave; she figured she could at least spend her time exploring the village. It'd be better time spent than just sitting, plus it might actually be useful...somehow.

Yet just as she'd started walking away and had left the shade of the tree, she heard a loud splash behind her. Peaking out from behind the trunk, she noticed first that the peels she'd thrown away had disappeared.

"Chika?" she whispered, more out of curiosity than to actually call for the girl, though a feeling of hope began building in her chest. She rushed over and fell to her knees as she looked into the water.

The ripples from the splash had faded, yet just under the water, You could make out a faint, shimmery orange shape, moving along the shoreline.

"Chika!" You called, seeing that the figure was beginning to swim away. Thankfully, the figure seemed to have heard her, and a smile grew on You's face as they began swimming back toward her, until Chika's heard emerged from the water right in front of You, reaching up till their noses almost touched, causing You to pull back slightly.

"Hi," Chika greeted with a smile. At that point, You's head went blank, with no idea of anything she could say aside from saying "Hi" back. Fortunately for her, Chika spoke first, "You look a lot better than yesterday. I'm glad!"

You nodded, moving so she was sat with her legs crossed by the edge so she could still see Chika. "Yeah I am. I kinda collapsed from exhaustion, but a friend found me and I got some rest at their place." Chika's face had briefly taken on a panicked expression when You said she'd collapsed, though she was relieved afterwards. She then asked, "And did you find your father?"

"Yep. He and the rest of the crew were all worried about me, which is nice, but it means they barely did their jobs making sure the ship was getting restocked," You replied, folding her arms and frowning. Chika giggled, "But that just means they wanted to make sure you were safe first!"

"I know, but we still have a job to do. We lost a lot of stock in the storm yesterday and they should've been on top of getting more for when we leave."

Chika still looked amused, and she snickered, bringing her hands up to partially cover her mouth, "You're so serious. It sounds like you keep things running more than your father." You rolled her eyes, though a smile had made its way back onto her face. Then she noticed something in Chika's hands.

"Hey, that's the mikan peel I had earlier," she pointed out, to which Chika nodded and said, "I could smell it, so I decided to take it." Two different questions to both points buzzed in You's mind.

"Wait, you can smell underwater?" she asked first.

"Yup! Well...not much, but I can sort of pick up the smell of things that are onshore, like these mikan. They smell pretty strong, plus they're close enough that I can pick them up," Chika replied. Despite the slightly vague description, You could admit that it made sense; after all, mermaids could breathe underwater, unlike humans.

"Okay then, fair enough," she said, "But why did you take it anyway? I was just gonna leave it to rot."

Chika's smile grew wider, and her eyes began to sparkle. "I really like mikan! So when I smelt some, I thought one had fallen off the tree and I could have it. But even if it was just this, I figured I could still take it and add it to my collection," Chika answered. You nodded along as the mermaid spoke, following what she was saying. She could understand how Chika had first come across the fruit if it'd been blown off the tree into the water. Though the collecting part…

"Why collect the peels? They don't do anything."

"Well, when I'm finished eating, I'm left with them, but I feel bad just leaving them to float to the ocean floor. It feels rude to just dump them. So I started collecting them in a little net I found in a sunken boat once." You nodded, sort of understanding Chika's actions. She herself had come across farmers on plenty of other islands that collected half eaten fruit or the remains of fruit that couldn't be eaten, and once that had rot, they used it on their crops, which was why she'd gotten into the habit of leaving stuff like mkan peels to rot in grass or near trees. "Giving back to the land" was how the farmers put it.

"Well then, here," You said, picking a mikan off the tree and holding it out toward Chika, "you can have another one. This time to eat first." The mermaid's face lit up at the gift and she cried out an excited, "Thank you!" before taking the fruit and beginning to claw away at the skin. You smiled as she watched, content to watch as the other girl happily dug into her snack. Yet without any conversation, her mind wandered back to the original reason for her wanting to see Chika.

"Hey," she said, catching Chika's attention, who turned to look at her with a segment of mikan half in her mouth. The sight made You chuckle slightly, though she sobered quickly so she could focus on what she wanted to say.

"I'll be honest, part of the reason I wanted to see you again is 'cos...I'm still kinda bothered about something." Chika nodded, a sign for You to continue while she couldn't speak, the piece of mikan still puckered between her lips.

You took a deep breath before she spoke again. "I'm worried about...about you. And how real you are, and if this is actually happening, or if I'm just crazy. I don't know what to think, and as much as I want to believe that this, and you, that this is actually a thing that's real, I keep thinking that it's all just some dream. There's this stupid doubt that keeps bothering me, and I-" She paused, finding herself panting; although she'd started slow, she'd quickly gotten faster in her speech as that same feeling of doubt caused her words to grow more panicked. She took another breath.

"I don't know. I just want to be sure that you're real," she finally finished. Chika blinked, confusion on her face. She finally swallowed the fruit piece, and then frowned before asking, "But how do I prove that? I mean, I'm right here aren't I? You can see me."

"Yes, I know I can but it's just-" You was interrupted by Chika pulling herself out of the water to sit on the edge of the cliff, mikan peels placed on the ground next to her, then twisting herself round to face You. Then to You's further surprise, Chika reached out and squished You's face with both her hands, saying, "You can feel me, and touch me. Right?"

"Yesh!" Chika released You's face from her grip and then brought her hands, curled into fists, toward her chest, pouting with what looked like frustration and saying, "So what do I have to do to prove I'm real? I don't know how to do that!" You was slightly caught off guard by Chika's reaction, finding it so different from the mermaid's cheerful naivety from the day before, or even while she'd been talking so passionately about mikan about five minutes before.

Though the stark contrast also made You feel guilty that she'd driven Chika to such a reaction, and she grimaced, muttering a quick, "'m sorry." Chika shifted, re-positioning herself so that her body wasn't twisted so uncomfortably while also folding her arms and frowning down at the ground. Silence spread between the two, the only sounds being the rustling of the leaves of the tree from the wind, and the light splashes of the water against the land. The quiet didn't help You's sense of guilt as her thoughts buzzed away in her head, " _Maybe I am being stupid about all this. About the doubting. She's right about that much, I can see her and interact with her. I can't be that crazy if I'm able to do all that, right?"_

She could feel an apology sitting on the tip of her tongue, yet she hesitated on voicing it, just long enough for Chika to then apologise herself, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get so worked up."

"Eh? No, no, I'm sorry! It was my fault to begin with. Constantly doubting your existence...nobody would want to hear that sort of thing. Your reaction was justified. I'm sorry," You said, looking away. Chika's head tilted, watching the girl carefully. Then a small smile appeared on her face and she said, "We're both being kinda silly about it, aren't we?"

When You didn't answer, Chika pouted again, then began poking You in various places, both to get her attention and to try and cheer her up, and she repeated her question, "We're both being silly about this! So serious!" You began giggling as some of Chika's pokes landed in ticklish spots, and she started squirming as she tried to dodge the oncoming attack. The mermaid finally stopped once You was laughing heartily, giggling along with her now that the mood had finally lifted.

"There, that's better!" Chika laughed, clapping her hands together excitedly. Once You began to calm down, Chika then said, "Oh, I wanted to ask if we could do something tomorrow! I want to show you something!"

"What?" You asked, a smile on her face now that her mood was up. Chika's eyes shone, clearly excited at her idea.

"Are you okay to go swimming?" she asked, to which You answered, sounding curious, "Yeah, I should be fine, though I'd have to let father know first. He'd worry if I just went off all of a sudden." It crossed You's mind that she might have to think of an alibi - maybe say she was going with Kanan, though she'd then have to ask Kanan to cover for her - since he'd otherwise want to check on her if she just said she was going alone.

"Great! Then sometimes tomorrow afternoon? We can meet here again."

"Sounds fine. I'll look forward to it." You held her hand out to shake, though Chika regarded it with confusion. Seeing this, You explained quickly, "It's a handshake. It means it's a deal, kinda like a promise. Just as a lil extra." Chika still hesitated, holding up her hand but not yet taking hold of You's own. Then, tentatively, she placed her hand within You's, who then gripped it and gave it a loose shake.

"It's a deal," You said, giving Chika a reassuring smile. Chika returned the smile and shook You's hand again, several more times, as she parroted, "It's a deal." Another round of laughter burst out between the two, though You's came to a sharp stop as she heard something in the distance.

"You! Hey!" the voice shouted, and she froze, turning round and seeing her father running toward them from the dock. She jumped to her feet, looking between a once again confused looking Chika and her quickly approaching father as she began to feel panic growing inside her.

"Shit- dammit, I mean dammit, what do we do?" Even if You had just come to terms with Chika being a real mermaid that existed and was _real_ , she wasn't sure how her father would react, or what he would do to Chika.

She quickly hissed to Chika, "Go into the water, hurry!"

"Eh, why?"

"Just- I don't know what he'd do if he saw you so just-" Her warning was too late and Chika too slow, as her father drew to a stop next to the two, doubling over and panting from running.

"Father, what are you doing here?" You asked tensely, also trying to stand in front of Chika to hide her from his sight, though she figured that'd still be a futile act. It didn't help that Chika was clearly trying to peek around You at the newcomer, ever curious.

Captain Watanabe finally stood straight and answered, still somewhat out of breath, "I just...saw you over here and- and wanted to come check on you. See if you we- were okay." You felt some of her panic be replaced by frustration, and her replay was maybe a little too snappy as she said, "I'm fine. You didn't have to. Besides, you need to focus on watching over the restocking of the ship."

Her father rolled his eyes, looking somewhat amused at being scolded by his daughter. "Yes, I know. I left a crewman to watch over that while I came to check on you. Is it really so bad that I wanted to check on you?" You pouted, which seemed to answer his question for him, as he laughed and said, "I get it. You're not a little kid so you don't need me to always keep an eye on you. I just want to be sure given what happened yesterday. Plus you're still my baby girl, you know that, right?"

"Of course," You said, still pouting over being babied. Yet despite her frustration, she realised something; though she was still panicked over her father and Chika being so near to one another, her panic was slowly being replaced by confusion, as she realised that he hadn't noticed Chika yet, or reacted to her once.

"Well, I'd better get back to the crew. Don't need you tellin' your mom I was slackin' when we get home," her father chuckled. Then, as he took a few steps back, ready to leave but not yet turning away to do so, he asked You the damning question, even if he didn't realise that it was.

"You sure you don't want somebody to join you? You're not lonely over here, are you?"

You gulped, hoping he wouldn't press on the frantic confusion that was so clear on her face. Feeling like there was a lump in her throat, You's only response was to shake her head. He nodded back, and mumbling a quick, "Well, okay then", he finally left.

You stood there, baffled by the exchange that had just occurred. She almost missed Chika's indignant huff behind her as she said, "Well that was rude. He didn't even acknowledge me." You didn't respond, her mind racing.

For all she felt like she'd finally taken a step forward that day with regards to Chika, she suddenly felt like she'd been knocked two steps backwards.

* * *

 **Chika and You meet again! But now we have a quandary on our hands. :o**

 **First up, I'm sorry this chapter took so long. :'D It's a mixture of real life being busy, me being unable to sit down and focus on writing, despite knowing what I wanted to write, plus a little bit of the YohaMari Score Match in SIF taking my attention. :'D I told myself I'd tier for the event when it came to EN so...yeah. :'D**

 **In fact tbh, I actually wanted to write more for this chapter. But given how long it'd been since I'd updated, I figured this was still a good place to end this and post.**

 **But thank you for your patience anyway, and I hope you all still enjoyed this chapter~ Hopefully I don't take as long for the next one :'D**

 **Concrit is appreciated~**

 **Fufu x**


	5. The Heiress

"Hey, Kanan?" The girl in question looked up from sorting through some stock to see You peeking into the shop. Upon being acknowledged, You continued, "Can I ask you a couple things?"

"Sure. What is it?" Kanan asked, turning back to her work. You shuffled into the shop, closing the door behind her as she did, then stood off to the side so she didn't get in Kanan's way should her stock taking go mobile.

"Well, I'd kinda like to ask a favour first," she said, watching her friend work. Kanan paused briefly to look over her shoulder at You, a single eyebrow raised in curiosity, before she turned back to the shelf she was looking into, humming, "Uh huh."

"I'd kinda like to go for a swim tomorrow, but father would probably freak given, y'know, recent stuff," You started, though she paused before continuing as Kanan finally stood up, a box of supplies in her hands and a judgingly curious expression on her face, that one eyebrow still arched.

"Are you sure you're up for that? That "recent stuff" happened yesterday," the other girl pointed out, striding across the shop to where more boxes similar to the one she carried were stacked. You pouted, folding her arms as she replied, "Yeah, I know, it's only been a day, but I feel fine. And I'd take it easy anyway."

"Alright then," Kanan said, grunting slightly from the effort as she raised the box and placed it atop one of the stacks. When she turned back to You, she was frowning as she added, "But if you're expecting me to go with you, I really can't. I'm working tomorrow."

"No, no, I know that. That's not what my favour is," You stammered slightly, taking a quick breath in to calm herself before she then said, "I was actually kinda hoping I could tell my dad I was going with you. Even if I'm not actually."

Kanan's eyebrow arched again. "You want me to be your alibi? Why?" You pressed her lips together, worry stirring within her that Kanan would reject her request and she'd be left to either abandon her plans or sneak off anyway and risk making her father worry about her again - and maybe lose a little bit of the trust he had in her.

"It's literally just what I said; I just want to go for a swim, but father probably wouldn't let me-"

"He might if one of his crew goes with you," Kanan interrupted, striding across the shop and past the counter to where the strong scent of fish came from, as she picked up one of the large wooden boxes and brought it to the counter.

You bit back a groan of frustration as she said, "I know, but I kinda just want to go alone. Besides, I can't let the crew baby me. For a start, I don't need to be babied, no matter what recent accidents I've gotten into," - okay, so maybe some of her frustration leaked into that sentence there - "and second, they're still working on restocking our supplies. I can't take manpower away from that."

Kanan paused, her fingers fiddling with the edge of the paperwork she'd pulled out, giving You a careful look, making her squirm slightly at the scrutinisation. Feeling like she needed one extra push, You gave her friend a desperate pout, and said with a pleading tone, "Please Kanan. Please!" The other girl blinked, caught off by the sudden begging. She shifted, eyes darting away; she looked slightly unnerved by the act, but also like she was thinking over her decision. You shuffled nervously on the spot as well.

 _'Please, please please…'_

Finally, Kanan sighed. "Alright fine. If he comes and asks, I'll say you're with me. Something like you wanted to try diving, or that you wanted to help me out as a thanks for yesterday, or something." You gasped before diving behind the counter and grabbing her friend in a hug as she cheered into Kanan's chest, "Thank you! Thankyouthankyouthankyou!"

"Hey, hey, okay, I get it," Kanan giggled, amused by You's reaction despite initially being caught off guard by the sudden hug. "I hope you have fun then. And stay near the island. Don't need you getting swept off by the currents and getting lost again." You nodded, her head still buried into Kanan's chest.

"Right, now that that's done," Kanan said, chuckling as she pushed a still smiling You off of herself, "what was the second thing you wanted to talk to me about?"

You's smile fell then, replaced with a confused frown. "Huh?" Kanan shook her head, still looking amused as she pulled a notebook out from a lower shelf of the counter, saying all the while, "You came in here saying you had two things you wanted to ask me, and we just dealt with one of them. So what's the other thing?"

You remembered quickly what the second thing was, and she paled. She gulped as her mind darted back to earlier that same day; the encounter she'd had with her father, or more importantly, the encounter he _didn't_ have with the acquaintance You had been talking with at the time.

Kanan, noticing You's hesitance yet mistaking it for forgetfulness, rolled her eyes and closed the notebook, having just scribbled some quick notes into it. "Well, take your time thinking on it. I'll be busy here the rest of the day, so just let me know whenever you remember," she said, turning back to the paperwork she'd been mulling over. You shuffled on the spot, the words caught on her tongue. She was about to ask her friend something crazy, and she had no idea if Kanan was going to humour her question, or think her suffering from some sort of residual concussion from the previous day. And if it were the latter, would she question her further, or would she turn You over to her father instantly, telling him she still needed rest?

Well, no way to find out except ask.

"No, I remember what I wanted to ask," You started, slowly, "I just don't really know… how to say it." You paused. The scratching of Kanan's pencil paused, though when the girl turned her head, she tried to act as though she were merely looking at the fish stored in the box. However, You could see her friend's eyes glancing quickly in her direction.

"Okay, so, this might sound like a super weird question, like, I get that, but…" You stopped again; this time Kanan turned to face You. Feeling the pressure growing, particularly given the shared enclosed space, You decided instead to go about her question in a roundabout way; wandering out from behind the counter and moseying over toward the fish boxes, she looked them over like she were contemplating the catches, and she asked, "Have you ever seen things while you were out diving? Or by the water in general?"

Kanan's eyebrow arched as she frowned, confused. "Like something other than fish? Or ships? I've never seen pirates if that's-" You shook her head sharply, cutting Kanan off. She turned back to her friend.

"I don't mean pirates. Okay, so maybe nothing above water. Things underwater, I mean, like…" You gulped again. _'Well, better just say it.'_

You sighed, "You've never seen anything like...mermaids, maybe?" Kanan still looked confused, however, concern also flitted across her face.

"You, are you-" You quickly interrupted, saying, "I'm not suffering from any lingering headaches or whatever from yesterday, I'm fine! I'm just curious, I swear." Okay, that wasn't going to be enough of an explanation. "I...I think I might've seen something earlier today. Maybe it's a little silly of me to assume "Mermaid! Fairytale creature!" from a brief look but...I was just wondering."

Kanan's skeptical look didn't falter. If anything, she seemed to regard You even closer. Yet when she finally spoke next, her response simply confused the girl. "You, you haven't spent any time with Mari at all while you've been here, have you?"

"Mari?" Upon seeing You's puzzled expression, Kanan gestured for You to follow her; once they were outside the shop - and the door locked to protect from any malicious snoopers - Kanan walked down the street in the direction of the docks until she stopped by an intersection, where she then nodded down the new street. At the end of the long road, beyond a path of trees, You could just about make out a set of iron wrought gates.

"Mari Ohara. Her and her family are based here. She's a nice enough girl, but to be honest, her head's sort of in the clouds." You almost missed Kanan's explanation of the girl, having zoned in on her name.

The Oharas were one of the largest trading focused companies on the seas, hiring more sailors and suppliers every season, as well as trying to snatch up as many independent traders as they could, including You's own father. You couldn't even count the amount of times representatives had shown up at her house, trying to convince the man to work for them, though he turned them down every time.

He insisted it was a matter of personal pride and integrity, and that the Watanabes had been independant sailors for many generations and that wasn't about to change anytime soon.

And when their ship had first pulled into Uchiura, You remembered the hard look he'd thrown toward the large, stately house - not quite a mansion given the island's size, yet still impressively large - situated on the Eastern edge of the island from the docks. His simple order to her was to ignore and avoid the place, and anyone that appeared to be from there. Kanan pointing it out was the first time You had acknowledged the place during her time in Uchiura.

"Uh, no," You finally said, turning back to her friend, "I haven't met her. What do you mean she's got her head in the clouds?" Kanan gestured for You to follow her back to the shop, saying as they went, "Like I said, she's nice enough for a rich kid, but she talks a lot about seeing things, creatures from stories and such. She insists that they're there and we all just choose to ignore them." You couldn't help but arch an eyebrow at the description, finding such a thing hard to believe, though at the same time, a small voice in her head piped up, readily calling her a hypocrite given recent events.

"I see," she mumbled as the duo re-entered the shop, Kanan propping herself against the counter and focusing entirely on You as opposed to returning to her work. The young woman was still frowning as she regarded her friend, and an uncomfortable silence seemed to grow between them.

You found herself fidgeting with the edge of her shirt, eying up the displays on the wall showcasing drawn images of the shop's wares alongside prices and other details, anything to avoid her friend's questioning gaze. She wanted to say something, if only to break the silence, yet she didn't know what else she could say, especially given what had already been discussed. Fortunately, Kanan finally broke the silence, her face unreadable and her eyes still steadily staring at You.

"Well, I can't say I'm not worried about you after what you've just asked me, plus you nearly drowning," Kanan said, ignoring the pout on You's face at once again being reminded of that incident as she continued, "and I'd rather avoid sending you anywhere near Mari - though more cos of what your father thinks of the family and their business than cos I think she'd do or say anything bad to you, I promise." You blinked.

"Huh?"

Her friend shook her head and sighed. "You say you're just curious? Then Mari might be able to give you answers, though I don't know if they'll actually help. She usually wanders round the market early in the mornings before she goes home. After that she tends to stay there the rest of the day aside from any sudden trips to the village. So if you definitely want to meet with her, then that's your best bet. Just be careful, though."

* * *

You's first impression of Mari Ohara was that of a cheerful young woman. The young blonde, dressed in fancy floaty fabrics and a wide brimmed hat, flitted from shop to shop, perusing the stock before buying at least one thing from each store. You wasn't sure if it was because she actually wanted what she was buying, if she would find a use for it, or was simply shopping for the sake of shopping. She also seemed to be fairly well liked; many passing villagers returned her "hellos" or "good mornings" or at least her smiles.

Though You couldn't be certain if that was because the people genuinely liked the girl, or if they liked her money, as she spied Mari giving a _very_ generous tip to a storekeeper after purchasing her goods, with said storekeeper seeing her off with an overly enthusiastic wave.

You snapped out of her musing as she saw the woman come her way. She prepared herself with a deep breath, then stepped forward into Mari's path, saying, "Excuse me, Miss Ohara?" Mari stopped, noticing You and giving her a curious hum as a greeting, accompanied by another wide smile.

"Uh, hello, miss, I-"

"I'm sorry, but please," Mari interrupted, waving a hand nonchalantly, "nobody calls me miss except the servants, and even then I've tried to tell them not to. Just Mari is fine!" You blinked, caught off guard by the interruption, before collecting herself quickly and continuing, "Ah, right! Uh, Mari, my name is You Watanabe and I-"

She was broken off by another interruption, this time a loud gasp as Mari said, "Oh, Watanabe! Your father is the one that won't sign on and work with Papa's company, isn't he?" You winced, taking an almost defensive step back from the girl. Clearly, she was much smarter than her cheerful smile betrayed if she knew that. Maybe this was a bad idea, maybe You was at risk of compromising her father's business since this girl was clearly involved in her father's own work as well.

Then Mari laughed, an amused cackle that caught the attention of others around them. "Oh sweetheart, you don't have to look so worried! I'm not interested in Papa's business if that's what you're thinking. I just pay attention from time to time." She gave You a sincere smile, adding, "Alright, I won't interrupt anymore. What is it?" Despite Mari's reassurance, You was already wary, unsure if she really wanted to go on now. After all, Mari could be bluffing.

 _'Oh come on, You, don't be ridiculous. You barely even know this girl aside from what Kanan's told you. ...But, what if she is involved with her father's company and she's just trying to catch me off guard? I mean she already recognised my name, who's to say she doesn't pay attention more often?'_

When You continued to hesitate, Mari's smile seemed to falter as she said, "Look, if you don't have anything to say and you're just gonna waste my time, then I'm just gonna go. I have things to do." As Mari moved to bypass the younger girl, You jumped, moving to stay in Mari's way as she frantically said, "No, no! Wait, please! I do have something to say, really. Or, I mean, to ask you." The blonde still wore that same friendly smile, yet her eyes narrowed, whether in suspicious or frustration, You couldn't tell.

"I'm sorry, really," You babbled, feeling put on the spot. She glanced around, more aware of the crowd surrounding them, and even more aware of the fact that people were beginning to stare. She wasn't sure if it was because of the commotion she herself had caused or her company. Gulping down as much of her growing nerves as she could, she asked, "Actually, the thing I want to ask you… could we go somewhere a little more private? Please?"

Mari blinked, looking more curious than confused. A cheeky smile spread on her face as she chuckled, "Okay then. But if this private question turns out to be some sort of confession, I'm gonna have to disappoint you." Mari instantly started cackling again, as though she had just shared the world's best joke, though it only drew more attention their way.

You's face quickly flushed as she hissed under her breath, "It's not, I promise." Not really caring if Mari had actually heard her or not as she continued laughing, You grabbed the rich girl's wrist and started dragging her away. Mari didn't seem too bothered by the act, simply letting herself be taken off.

* * *

You had dragged Mari to the same spot where she'd met Chika the day before; that same lonely mikan tree on the grassy strip of land by the edge of the sea. Mari looked around the area with gleeful fascination.

"Oh~! This is such a lovely view!" the young woman gasped exuberantly, lifting the many layers of her skirt with an exaggerated flourish before she sat herself at the foot of the tree. She glanced back at You, her lips curled into a coy smile.

"Are you sure you aren't going to confess to me? I might actually be tempted now~." You shook her head, though despite her nerves at the inevitable question she wanted to ask the girl, she found herself smiling back. Mari's enthusiasm was quite infectious.

"No, this isn't anything like that," she said, sitting next to the girl, returning her shopping bag to her as well; at some point during the brief trip, Mari had simply handed the bag to You and took the lead, despite the location being You's idea.

Mari pouted, though there was no real sadness in her expression. "Well, that's a shame," she sighed. The smile quickly returned to her face though as she asked, "Alright, so now that we're here - somewhere private, like you wanted - what is it you wanted ask me?" You's smile wavered, though she didn't let it fall. Even if Mari was the best source of information she had - according to Kanan at least - You still had to be careful with her questioning.

"Well, to be honest," You started, shifting where she sat, "the thing I want to ask you might be a little unorthodox. But I've also heard that you might know best about this sort of thing. Not maliciously, of course!" she quickly added, aware that saying she'd effectively heard rumours about the other girl could easily put Mari off helping her.

Though when she spared a glance at the other girl, Mari simply looked curious, still anticipating whatever questions You had for her. Seeing that as a good sign, You continued, "So, even if this might be a little hard to ask - trust me, I know this is gonna sound weird - and I don't know if you'll actually believe what I'm asking you…" She paused, watching Mari's expression carefully; still curious.

She finally decided to say it, albeit hesitantly, "I was wondering… I mean, I've heard… you believe in things that might not be there? Or I guess they might be?" You couldn't exactly ignore the way Mari's smile curled up further with amusement, or the way she seemed to lean in a little bit closer. The girl then purred, "Like what? You'll have to be a little more specific or I won't be able to help you."

Well, she wasn't implying that she _couldn't_ help You, which was a good sign, unless Mari was simply toying with her.

"Like… fairies and such. Magic beings," You said, almost a little too quietly, "Fairytale creatures."

Mari's smile softened. "And what makes you think they're not there?"

You blinked, caught off by the question. Mari sat up straight again, You doing likewise - honestly, she wasn't even aware that she'd leant back herself when Mari had drawn closer. The other girl looked out to the horizon, leaning forward and resting her head in her hand.

"Y'know," she began, a light hum to her words that fit the gentle smile she now wore, "our world is so vast. There's so much to see out there. I'm sure you know that yourself, being able to actually travel. But even then, you could easily miss so much so close to yourself just because you insist it isn't there." At that, she turned back to You, yet there was no real accusatory tone to her voice or expression; instead, she looked almost forlorn at the thought.

"People seem to think, " Mari continued, not waiting for You to pipe up, not that the girl had any words to add, she was still curious about what Mari had to say, "that because we get older, we lose the ability to see all the magic around us. But what if it's not that; what if we could still see things like fairies and dwarves and unicorns - all things we say are just in little kids' imaginations - but because we've convinced ourselves that we shouldn't believe in them because we're getting older, then we really do stop seeing them?"

The girl then chuckled lightly, giving You a wider smile. "Am I sounding silly right now? A big girl like me talking about unicorns so seriously. Believe it or not, I've never asked Papa to give me a unicorn, not even when I was a little kid!" Despite the slightly off-topic remark plus Mari's attempt to alleviate the air after her rather sombre monologue, You shook her head in response.

"No, it's fine. To be honest, it's that sort of stuff that I'm curious about. Maybe I'm even a little worried about it but…" Just as You's head began to tilt down, Mari tapped under her chin, catching You by surprise and making her look up again at the other girl. Mari gave her an encouraging smile and said, "How about you start at the beginning."

You didn't answer immediately, instead watching Mari carefully. Yet the girl didn't betray anything other than genuine intrigue and support for the young sailor. Feeling like she could trust Mari with the truth, yet still wanting that extra reassurance, You asked her, "So if you've met creatures like that already, have you ever met a mermaid before?"

"Mermaids?" Mari let out a hum as she thought on it, before shaking her head, an apologetic look on her face as she said, "I don't think I have, sorry. But then again, they do live in the water, and I don't leave the grounds often. For my own safety, Papa insists, plus I've never actually had much reason to go anywhere near the shore." She paused then asked, "So, I take it your problem has to do with a mermaid then?"

You nodded, and thus proceeded to tell Mari about Chika, right from her first saving You after she almost drowned - along with a brief side track as she reassured Mari, just like she reassured everyone else, that she was fine! - to them meeting again the previous day.

"But the biggest thing, and… to be honest, the reason why I wanted to see you, was when my father showed up. He didn't even notice Chika was there. And not just like, he acknowledged her but didn't talk to her; he outright said it looked like I was alone."

Mari tapped a finger against her chin as she thought, her eyes looking vacantly out to sea. "So, I'm guessing you're more worried about what this means for you. Because you're supposed to be a big girl, all grown up now. You've left the nursery rhymes and bedtime stories long behind, right?" Her lips curled into another teasing smirk as she elaborated the situation. You couldn't help but bristle at Mari's tone, but she nodded nonetheless, for really, that was exactly it.

Mari's smile widened at the confirmation, yet aside from her eyes lighting up, the coyness had left her face. "So what does it matter?"

You blinked. "Huh?"

"What does it matter?" Mari repeated, throwing her arms out wide - forcing You to lean back sharply to avoid being hit, although the tree was hit in the process, which caused the leaves to rustle at the disturbance - "You're saying that you shouldn't believe in mermaids cos you're all grown up, but does it really matter if you're seeing one now? You've just told me that you had all that internal fuss over her being real, and then you decided that didn't matter in the end. So why does this matter now?"

A "but" clung to the tip of You's tongue, eager to burst out, but she bit it back as there was no argument to follow after it. Mari had a point, but You still felt like she had some issue at hand with her being able to see something which no-one else could.

Nevertheless, Mari continued, "And it's like I said earlier; people give up on seeing the magic of the world around them because they think they shouldn't be able to see it. Just because we grow up. But isn't that just boring? Surely we can grow up and be all mature and responsible without having to be so dull, right?"

Mari had a point. As much as You wanted to argue for her sanity's sake, she couldn't deny Mari's words.

"It doesn't really matter in the end," she muttered, mostly to herself. Mari nodded.

"I get that this probably still bothers you," Mari said, placing a comforting hand on You's shoulder, "and it'll take time to really get used to the idea that you can see things others can't, and that you're not really "growing up" like people expect you to. But really, I think this just makes things all the more exciting for you. You have so much more of the world open to you! Think of how much more you'll be able to see! I'm sure for someone that likes to travel to places unseen, that just adds to the possibilities, doesn't it?"

You chuckled, caught up in Mari's enthusiasm yet again. "Can I say now that I've only met Chika so far, and I haven't seen any fairies or unicorns yet?" Mari laughed, that same bright cackle from earlier, though now it sounded less intimidating to You.

"Well, maybe only part of the world has opened up to you. But at least it's still something!" Mari's laughter picked up again, and You found herself laughing along, though less animated than her companion.

Once the two had calmed, they sat in silence, simply appreciating the view and allowing the wind and the crashing waves to fill in for any words. Besides, it gave You a chance to mull over the conversation they'd just shared.

Did it _really_ matter that You could see Chika when she was supposed to be a teenager, aka somebody that had long outgrown such childish stories? Maybe, but then every difficult decision or realisation would always take some getting used to. And, like Mari had said, You had already been through an internal crisis over Chika's existence; what did it matter if she then just accepted that she could see Chika where others couldn't?

She cast a glance at Mari, who had her eyes closed as she relaxed, the breeze catching her hair. You couldn't help but be somewhat awed by the girl; she was a lot sharper than she made herself out to be. She acted so much like a ditzy rich girl, seeing that side to her was so much more of a surprise. Then again, given the rumours, You had to wonder how much of her animated side was just an act to amuse the masses...

"I should probably get going now," Mari said, stretching her arms above her head and snapping You from her thoughts, "It's almost noon, and I still have things to do." Mari stood, dusting off her dress and placing her hat back on her head. Picking her bag up, she turned to You and asked, "You coming?"

"Uh, no, I'll stay here. Me and Chika have plans, so I might as well just wait for her."

Mari smiled back. "Well, I'll leave you then. I hope you two have fun. And I hope things turn out okay for you, You." Then with an overly flourished wave that probably wasn't quite so necessary, the rich girl turned and left, leaving You alone by the mikan tree.

"Is she gone now?"

Or maybe not.

You jumped, turning sharply back to the sea view to find Chika peaking sneakily over the edge of the raised shore. Letting out a sharp breath to hide her surprise, You shifted closer to the mermaid and asked, "How long have you been here?"

Chika raised her head fully into view, revealing her usual cheerful smile as she answered, "I literally just got here. I heard my name though, so I hid. I wanted to hear where things were going, but you'd just finished talking." You couldn't help but smile back, amused by her friend's simple explanation.

"Well, we were kinda talking about you, but also not really. It's nothing to worry about though, I promise."

"Oh, okay then! So!" Chika pulled herself out of the water and perched on the edge of the grass, her tail swishing in the water. "You ready to head off?"

You chuckled, "So quickly? But you just got here." She reached back toward the tree and pulled a mikan off, handing it to her friend. Chika gasped, taking the fruit with a gleeful nod of appreciation before she began to tear into it eagerly. You chuckled again at the act, leaning back onto her elbows and swinging her legs into the water as she relaxed.

"Let's sit for now, talk for a bit, and then we'll go. We have all day after all."

* * *

 **The chapter is finally here! I am sorry for the long wait. ;3;**

 **The long time between chapters was due to a couple of reasons I'm afraid. Real life is one, video games another, writer's block a third. :'D Another reason though is also cos I was kinda worried about how the resolution to this chapter would be taken, given that I set up a cliffhanger last time, but then ending it like this would feel like a cop-out, even though I wanted to end it like this when I finished the last chapter. So I ended up putting it off cos of that fear.**

 **In the end though, my thinking was that I'd technically already done the same or a similar argument, so to do it again would just be a waste of time.**

 **But ultimately, we're here, and with a massive chapter too, at 5k words! :D It pretty much just kept going!**

 **So, I hope this chapter was worth the wait, and that hopefully, the next one doesn't take as long. Thank you for reading! Concrit is always appreciated!**

 **Fufu x**

 **Ps. More as a fun fact, Mari's outfit was some what inspired by her KoiAqua unidolised R, at least in the sense that that's what I had pictured while I was writing. However its ambiguous enough that you can imagine any fancy dress you like.**


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